Francesca Fiorellini has won the 92nd Portuguese International Ladies’ Amateur Championship at Montado Resort.
The event is regularly ranked as one of the strongest on the European amateur calendar and is the first big international championship of the year.
Fiorellini, who recently won the Junior Vagliano Trophy winner with the Continent of Europe, secured the title on -9 after rounds of 70 (-2), 69 (-3), 68 (-4) and 72 (par). The Italian finished inside the top-10 in the last two editions.
Currently ranked 57th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, the win will help the 16-year-old climb to her highest ever position in the ranking with the next update.
“It's incredible to win the first tournament of the year, I'm very honored to have won” said Fiorellini. “It's a big field and I already know it well. I remember that in my first presence here I had my best result ever, 67 (-5), and it was a great day for me”
The triumph is the Italian’s second consecutive win on the international stage, having won the French International U21 in November.
France’s Maylis Lamoure was the closest player to Fiorellini on the last day. Had she been able to win the title, it would have been back-to-back wins for France after Lucie Malchirand’s triumph in 2021. She had to settle for silver however, finishing on -6 to claim 2nd place.
Two of the other winning 2021 Continent of Europe Junior Vagliano Trophy team players finished in the top-10. 2021 European Young Masters champion, Helen Briem (GER) claimed the last podium spot with a total of -4, while Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio (ESP) finished in a tie for 7th on level-par.
Images: © Filipe Guerra/ Portuguese Golf Federation
